If you're a restaurant or food business owner looking to get noticed online, you've likely heard the term SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). But did you know that there are two main types of SEO; Paid SEO and Organic SEO? Understanding the difference between them can help you know how to use both in your digital strategy to boost your website's visibility and attract more footfall.
In this guide, we’ll be looking at…
Put simply, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It’s the process of improving your website so that it ranks higher in search engine results (like Google and Bing) when people search for things related to your food business.
For example, if you run a start up street food business in Coventry, you want your website to rank high when someone searches for “street food Coventry” or “food truck Coventry”. Optimising your website for SEO uses techniques on your website and off your website to help improve this ranking.
Organic SEO refers to the natural ways your website can rank higher on search engines for key phrases (eg; "best restaurants in Birmingham" without the need for an advertising media budget. It’s all about improving your website so that it earns its place in search results without paying for ads. It's worth noting that, organic results typically appear below the paid advertising in search engines.
Top key factors that help your website rank for organic SEO include:
Organic SEO is a long term strategy that focuses on building sustainable online visibility for your food business, which helps you understand why SEO is important.
Paid SEO, on the other hand, involves investing media spend in advertising to compete with other websites at the top of search engines. These are typically labelled as “sponsored” or “ad” on search engines. And paid SEO works on a cost per click (CPC) basis.
For example, if you run a fish and chips shop in Coventry, you could pay to ensure your website appears when someone searches for “best fish and chips Coventry” or “traditional fish and chips takeaway”. Paid SEO allows you to quickly reach potential customers who are actively searching for classic British meals like the ones you serve. The higher you bid and allocate budget the better chance you have of showing over your competitors.
Top key factors that help your website rank for paid SEO include:
Paid SEO is a great way to drive quick traffic to your website, especially during promotions or busy seasons.
It’s worth noting that an optimal digital marketing strategy typically incorporates both paid and organic search tactics. So whilst it’s helpful to look at paid SEO vs organic SEO, both forms of SEO are equally as important in your strategy.
For restaurant and food business owners, combining paid and organic SEO offers the best of both worlds:
At Eat Marketing, we understand the unique challenges of food businesses. Our team can create a tailored SEO strategy that blends both paid and organic SEO to get the best results for your business. Here’s how we can help…
SEO doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By understanding the differences between paid vs organic SEO and leveraging both, we’ll help create a balanced strategy that drives more customers to your food business website.
Want to grow your online presence? Contact us today.
The marketing world is ever-evolving, and keeping pace with the latest food and drink trends can feel like a full-time job. In 2024, food marketing was shaped by technological innovations, sustainability, and the ever-expanding power of social media. As we move into 2025, the stakes are even higher for food businesses aiming to stay ahead of the curve.
To help you satisfy your customers’ appetites and stand out in an increasingly competitive marketplace, here are 6 food marketing trends for 2025.
TikTok remains a game changer in the food and drink space. By 2025, the platform’s ability to drive consumer behaviour and influence global sales has solidified its role as an essential marketing tool. With over 37 billion views on #FoodTok alone, TikTok trends such as “#TikTokMadeMeTryIt” continue to turn food products into overnight sensations.
If you’re not yet on TikTok, 2025 is the year to create that account and start posting. Here’s a few tips on how to crack this 2025 marketing trend…
We mentioned this at the start of 2024, and it seems that social media’s importance and evolution within the food marketing industry is still something that should be capitalised on in 2025. Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok are go-to destinations for customer queries, brand research, and even shopping. Features such as AI-powered chatbots, live shopping events, and direct messaging for support are transforming how consumers interact with brands.
A responsive and cohesive social presence in 2025 will be crucial for building trust and keeping customers engaged, in order to make the most of this 2025 food marketing trend.
In 2024, minimalism and sustainability dominated food packaging trends. For 2025, the bar has been raised with the introduction of compostable, reusable, and even edible packaging. Designs are expected to feature clean lines, ample negative space, and earthy tones that highlight a food brand’s commitment to eco-conscious values.
Pairing minimalist designs with stylised illustrations or bold pops of colour can help products capture attention, while reinforcing your modern, sustainable ethos that consumers care about more and more.
This also goes hand in hand with the idea around functional and reusable packaging design. We predict that more food businesses will be moving towards packaging that can be reused or repurposed by customers, such as jars that double as storage containers or boxes designed for secondary use. This approach not only reduces waste but also creates added value for customers, making your product stand out in a crowded market.
QR codes have become a staple in dining, but 2025 marketing trends show a deeper integration with AR technology. Interactive menus that provide 3D views of dishes, highlight nutritional information, or showcase ingredient sourcing are on the rise.
Restaurants that embrace these innovations will appeal to Gen Z diners, who are seeking more personalised and tech-driven experiences.
Striking visuals are essential for grabbing attention, and in 2025, bold typography combined with dynamic graphics will dominate food packaging and general brand design. From sharp, clean fonts to playful handwritten scripts, expressive typography helps communicate key product details while showcasing your brand identity.
Trend 6: Emphasis on health and wellness 
Health-conscious consumers are more discerning than ever, and 2025 marketing trends highlight the need for packaging that emphasises well-being. Clear labelling, natural ingredients, and functional benefits will remain key drivers in categories like plant-based foods, functional beverages, and fresh produce.
Showcasing your commitment to health and wellness through thoughtful design and messaging will resonate with an audience eager to make better lifestyle choices.
Want to know more about how to integrate these trends into your food brand strategy for 2025? Get in touch with us today.
Now we’re over halfway through the first month of 2025, we’re all gearing up for another year of innovation and change within the food industry. Understanding these changes can help restaurant owners stay ahead of the curve and meet customer demands.
Join us as we explore a variety of restaurant trends for 2025 that are set to shape the restaurant industry this year, from aesthetics to the ingredients that will be trending. Trends include…
Over the years, we’ve seen that diners are becoming increasingly more drawn to intimate, personalised dining experiences, and in 2025, smaller, bespoke, nostalgic restaurants will rise in popularity.
Michael Vignola, Culinary Director of Catch Hospitality Group, shares his thoughts on this restaurant trend for 2025; “Smaller, bespoke and nostalgic restaurants will become increasingly popular. These kinds of
Exotic ingredients like truffles and mushrooms will continue to shine in 2025. Patrick Ochs, Executive Chef for INK Entertainment, notes; “Truffles and exotic mushrooms are highly sought-after ingredients… elevating many gourmet dishes to a luxurious experience.”
Simplicity will also be key, with garden-fresh produce like vegetables and fruits taking centre stage, with more and more diners restaurants focusing on minimal preparation to highlight natural flavours.
Sustainability will remain at the forefront, with diners seeking ethically sourced, local produce. From reducing food waste to using sustainable packaging, restaurants will need to meet customer demand for eco-friendly practices. Thoughtful sourcing and reducing meat consumption in favour of plant-based dishes will also be a key restaurant trend for 2025.
The decline in British farming, partly due to the inheritance relief tax reform, is pushing chefs to partner directly with farmers. The National Farmers’ Union reports that UK farmers have seen their income drop by over 20% in the past decade. In response, chefs are focusing on locally sourced ingredients.
In 2025, chefs will have to be much more proactive in helping farmers keep producing food that’s ethically sourced.
Technology will continue to evolve in the restaurant world. Contactless payment systems, digital menus, and AI-driven reservations will become more commonplace, enhancing the dining experience.
Luxury mixed with accessibility aesthetic is taking over the restaurant high street. Brands like Flat Iron, which has seen 20% projected growth over the next two years, are leading this trend.
The “casual-luxe” style is redefining dining, offering customers a comfortable, yet stylish, atmosphere at an affordable price.
Smashed patties are taking the UK by storm. The trend, known for its crispy, flavour-packed texture, is now a favourite in many burger joints. As consumer demand for high quality fast food grows, smashed pa
Ghost kitchens, or virtual kitchens, are transforming the food delivery market. These kitchen-only operations focus on online orders, reducing overhead costs associated with physical spaces.
The global ghost kitchen market is expected to grow 12.5% annually over the next five years. Ghost kitchens allow businesses to reach a wider customer base while cutting down on real estate costs, making them a key restaurant trend for 2025.
Restaurants this year will focus more on being community hubs. By engaging with local events and suppliers, restaurants can build strong ties with their customers.
One of our clients, Larder, an independent casual finding restaurant, for example, works closely with local suppliers and butchers, creating dishes that showcase regional produce. Having recently launched their showstopper dish ‘Craftman’s Cut”, which aims to celebrate their relationship with their local butchers.
Trend 10: Themed dining experiences
Themed dining is transforming the UK restaurant scene, offering guests more than just a meal, it’s about creating shareable experiences. From live jazz nights, tropical tiki bars to musical bottomless brunch, such as Taylor Swift themed events, these stand out food experiences have exploded in popularity, combining lively entertainment with food and endless drinks.
Similarly, themed afternoon teas, whether it’s Alice in Wonderland or Bridgerton-inspired, are delighting diners with creative menus and decor. These experiences are highly Instagrammable and have become a hit on TikTok, so expect to see even more of them throughout the year.
By pairing food with music or elaborate themes, restaurants are tapping into the growing demand for fun, interactive, and social media-ready dining moments.
2025 is set to be an exciting year for the restaurant industry, with trends focusing on nostalgia, simplicity, sustainable sourcing, and innovation. By embracing these shifts, whether in your menu, ingredients, or customer experience, you can stay ahead of the competition and deliver what diners are looking for to secure those all important table bookings.
So, you’re a startup that wants to spread the word about your brand’s unique selling points (USPs), but you’re not sure how to go about it? Sounds like you need to implement a food product marketing strategy that will educate your consumers, whilst satisfying their cravings.
From interactive social content, influencer marketing, to captivating storytelling and digital campaigns, join us as we take a look at the food product marketing strategies that will actually work for you.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, when it comes to your startup food brand, social media is your gateway to connect directly with your audience. Through platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, you can humanise your brand and showcase all the best bits about your business, without it feeling too much like a hard sell.
How can I implement this food product marketing strategy?
What customer doesn’t like a brand that goes the extra mile to create memorable experiences? It’s a great way to get people talking and will have them coming back for seconds and thirds.
How can I implement this food product marketing strategy?
Although often a secondary touchpoint, your website still matters and there’s some great ways to educate consumers about your brand when they land on your website.
How can I implement this food product marketing strategy?
Educational campaigns offer valuable opportunities to engage your audience, and the whole purpose of having a food product marketing strategy is to educate consumers about the benefits and unique features of your products.
How can I implement this food product marketing strategy?
Ready to elevate your brand's food marketing? Get in touch with us for access to our latest insight guide to help your food start up business implement these food product marketing strategies, and see real results.
In the competitive world of the food industry, effective marketing is the key ingredient for success. Join us as we explore 7 ways to enhance your food marketing strategy and look at why is food marketing important when it comes to your business getting the results you deserve.
Simply put, if you don't market your food business, people won't know about it, and you won't sell anything. Food marketing gives you the power to influence people's food choices, enhance brand recognition, gain a competitive edge, foster customer loyalty, and boost sales.
Essentially, food marketing shines a spotlight on your brand, creating not just awareness, but a compelling narrative that resonates with consumers. In a world where there are plenty of food options, a well-crafted marketing strategy can elevate your brand from the ordinary to the extraordinary, ensuring that your food or drinks are not just consumed, but remembered.
Your brand is more than just a logo; it’s all about your brand’s story and using it to engage with people. Yes, it's important to get across what you offer, but people want to know the values and passion behind your food. This is also an opportunity to shout about some of your most standout values, like sustainability. So, why is food marketing important in this instance? Well, it’s a golden opportunity to naturally highlight your USPs, connect with your audience and stand out in a crowded market.
Another great way to improve your food marketing is to welcome the influence of social media. As of 2023, there are 4.95 billion people actively using social media in the world. This will help you establish a direct connection with your audience, which is why food marketing is important. From developing high-quality photography and content, engaging with customers who reach out, to forming partnerships with influencers to broaden your reach, social media is your best friend when it comes to reaping the benefits of food marketing.
We've all been there, scrolling through food options on our mobile phones before deciding where to dine or placing an online order. Given that mobile devices account for a whopping 60% of all digital restaurant orders today, it's essential that you streamline the process for your customers, making it as easy as possible for them to order from your website, learn more about your brand or just browse the menu.
To achieve this, ensure your website is responsive, reflective of your brand in terms of tone of voice and design, and easy to navigate on mobile screens. You’ll not only enhance the user experience, but also cater to the increasing trend of mobile-based interactions in the food industry.
It’s all well and good having great online content, but to truly catapult your food business into the digital limelight, it’s important for you to align your content to a strong SEO strategy. SEO is the secret sauce that ensures your online brand, including your website and social channels, attracts a steady stream of organic traffic.
By incorporating relevant keywords, optimising meta tags, and enhancing the overall structure of your website, you pave the way for improved search engine rankings. This provides your brand with heightened visibility, making it easier for potential customers to discover your delicious offerings and stand out in the digital landscape.
What’s the best way to create a sense of urgency and encourage potential customers to try your food sooner rather than later? Limited-time exclusive promotions and discounts. You can align these promotions with seasonal events or even the launch of a new tasty menu item to maximise impact. This is where leveraging your online presence will help too, from social media, your website to email marketing, broadcast these exclusive offers in as many places as you can online to effectively engage with your audience, new and old.
By generating an organic online buzz around your business deals, you’ll not only boost interest, but also foster a sense of loyalty amongst your customers who want to sink their teeth into your mouth watering offers.
When it comes to food marketing, well-designed packaging goes beyond merely standing out; it serves as a silent ambassador for your brand, enticing potential customers, expanding your reach and leaving a lasting impression. Visually appealing packaging not only catches the eye, but also gets across the essence of your brand and the quality of your culinary offerings.
When asking why is food marketing important, it helps to understand that things like well-designed packaging is the first point of contact between your product and the consumer, influencing purchasing decisions on a subconscious level and helping you set the stage for a positive consumer experience.
Immerse your brand in the local culinary scene by actively participating in food events and festivals. Beyond boosting visibility, these engagements create a personal connection with your community and help to foster authenticity and trust in a live setting, allowing potential customers to experience the passion behind your food.
These events are also perfect for gathering feedback and building rapport contributing to long-term sustainability, and encouraging word-of-mouth marketing. It’s important you take these types of opportunities to connect with your audience beyond the digital realm.
In the fiercely competitive food industry, the key ingredient for success lies in effective food marketing. Having looked at why food marketing is important, all that’s left to ask is whether you’re ready to take your food marketing to the next level and achieve tasty results.
Get in touch with us today to start the ball rolling.
Creating a memorable restaurant dining experience is essential to the success of your food brand. From creating the right atmosphere to creating a strong content strategy, getting it just right will increase repeat custom and revenue. Join us as we share our tips on how to make your restaurant experience unforgettable.
When you look at your restaurant brand, what do you see? And, more importantly, what do customers see? The continued rise of the internet and social media in particular, guarantees customer engagement, which means, as a brand, you need to give more and do more than sell your food and move on.
Building a strong and unique brand identity allows customers to form positive perceptions of your restaurant. The process is not as simple as just having a catchy name and logo.
Take Wagamama’s instantly recognisable identity in the UK’s casual dining sector. They include a range of digital brand elements that distinguish its restaurants from the competition.
Over the years, the popular Asian-inspired chain restaurant has evolved, with a particular emphasis on their belief that good food has a range of spiritual and physical benefits, to resonate with its customers.
Telling your restaurant’s unique story in your communications is important to your customers as it forms part of your brand identity and will keep diners coming back to the restaurant experience you have to offer.
Having a unique brand and making this your point of difference sets your restaurant apart from the competition, keeps people intrigued and ensures customers come back for more. It also ensures your restaurant dining experience is personal to your brand and can't be replicated which also increases repeat custom.
Influencer Marketing has been one of the most talked about content strategies in recent years. This type of social media marketing can help restaurants elevate brand affinity, through influencers sharing their authentic experiences. With the opportunity for influencers to act as brand ambassadors and influence their followers to gain restaurants more attraction.
This strategy worked particularly well for Brewers Fayre. They targeted micro-parent influencers to enjoy a free meal with their family. 31 influencers created 48 Instagram static posts, 10 Reels and 98 Stories. This helped the brand build trust and increase engagement.
Influencer Marketing is extremely powerful as it provides instant online engagement for restaurants. Promoting their experiences with brands in a natural way, successfully fosters and builds real brand advocacy. If it works for Brewers Fayre, it can work for you.
Digital technology is transforming the restaurant experience with the opportunity for brands to innovate and take their customers on a unique and memorable food journey.
As the gap between digital and real life merges, it’s important that restaurants meet customers' demands and adopt digital technologies, one way to achieve this is through personalisation.
The Miller and Carter loyalty app is a great example of a food brand adopting digital technology, using it to boost their brand and improve the overall restaurant experience. The app allows the iconic steakhouse chain to stay connected with its customers, using flexible incentives and rewards to ensure they are at the forefront of their customers’ minds and encouraging them to enjoy a meal there. This builds personalised and unique content that's relevant to the customers restaurant experience.
Adopting brand communications across multiple channels doesn’t have to be complicated, but can provide alternative experiences which cultivate true brand loyalty.
Creating a positive restaurant dining experience can increase customer satisfaction, attract new customers and drive customer loyalty. At Eat Marketing, we can help advise, manage and execute positive food brand strategies that can make all the difference.
Image Sources: 1) www.pearlfisher.com 2) roomunlocked.com 3)www.millerandcarter.co.uk
Is your food business ready to get ahead of the competition in 2023? From creating empathetic content to leveraging brand ambassadors, there are so many different ways to hit the ground running to connect with your consumers and satisfy their cravings.
To help, we’ve put together a list of food content marketing trends for 2023 that will help you cook up a winning recipe.
A food content marketing trend for 2023 that seems to be on the rise is understanding how to market your product or food services by putting yourself in the shoes of your customers, and creating empathetic content. Instead of marketing from a business perspective, you should be addressing your target audience’s wants and needs, answering their questions and communicating with them in a way that evokes an emotional response. With 94% of consumers staying loyal to brands that are transparent and genuine, empathetic content should certainly be something you consider doing more of if you don’t already.
Typically within the food industry, consumers like to see themselves represented in some sort of way, showcasing your food brand in their everyday life is a great way to establish empathetic content that ties them in with your brand. Value-driven, empathetic content also means your brand should be addressing the bigger issues such as; sustainability, social responsibility, inclusivity and diversity - authenticity will get you a long way in 2023 it seems.
2022 saw the launch of shoppable links for e-commerce and this will continue to grow as a key food content marketing trend for 2023. Shoppable links make it more convenient for consumers to be taken to where they need, without having to leave the area they first saw the information, it’s pretty clever and shows how social media is adapting to the ever growing marketing world.
As a society our attention spans are becoming shorter and we’re more impatient, we like to have access to information quickly and with very little hassle. Shoppable links make it so consumers can find out more about your product and make an instant buy through the same link. This is great for food marketing as you’re able to promote a food product or service on your social channels and include a direct link to purchase, rather than directing them to your website. This increases the likelihood of a sale as all the hard work is taken out of the buying process for the consumer, and in most cases they won’t even have to move to get their card if they have Apple or Google Pay on their device. Convenient or what?
The power of TikTok cannot go ignored, and since the social platform blew up a few years ago, we’ve seen various developments, such as video marketing taking shape on the app. If a picture can speak a thousand words, a video can speak double that, if not more, making it very attractive to marketers. As humans, we’re usually very visually stimulated, which is why video content does well to entertain us in comparison to plain text.
TikTok is an ideal platform to produce video content, as the short-form videos conform to our demanding attention span and deliver information in an easily digestible package. When it comes to your food brand people love seeing behind the scenes content, perhaps in the kitchen where food is being prepared or packing orders to go out for delivery. The possibilities are truly endless and building a reputation on TikTok can help your brand’s personality shine through, generating more website traffic with 86% of marketers using video content to drive traffic to their website, leading to more interest and more sales.
It looks like podcasts remain the dominant audio food content marketing trend for 2023.Billions of people listen to podcasts yearly, making them an effective way to spread the word about your food brand. This type of audio content shouldn’t be too salesy, it should feel light and fun but also informative, so listeners are intrigued and search for your brand after hearing about it.
Audio content via the means of a podcast is also a great way to gain local attraction. Get your brand out there by playing on the fact that you're local with intriguing and leading lines like ‘Want to know why we’re the best fish and chip shop in X, Y, Z? Find out for yourself.’ Leave something to the imagination and make people hungry to try your food.
Influencer marketing has been a source of great results for many brands and that seems to be the same for 2023. With 93% of marketing professionals using influencer marketing to; increase brand awareness, build trust, reach their target audience, drive conversions and connect to a wider audience, it’s no surprise it gets results. It does seem though that the food content marketing trend for 2023 will be evolving to a preference of quality over quantity. Brands now care more about the trustworthiness of the influencer or the brand ambassador, and want to establish long-term, authentic relationships with both the influencer and their target audience.
Your food brand is more likely to gain an increased amount of searches, orders and visits if you have a set of consistent and reliable brand ambassadors who promote your brand. Essentially, you don’t want an influencer who one day is promoting vegan sweets and the next a meat-only burger shop. People are able to see through orchestrated influencer interactions and it just won’t wash in 2023. So it’s time to start leveraging user generated content and brand ambassadors that fit your food brand to make a positive impact.
There’s a huge data change set to take place in 2023 with Google Analytics. On the 1st July 2023 the current Universal Analytics, a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic, will no longer process any new data and you’ll need to migrate across to the new Google Analytics 4 property.
The new GA4 property has many benefits from being able to collect more data than Universal Analytics, giving you a lot more insight into what people are doing on your site or app, and overall tracking more than just website traffic. All in all, GA4 will transform the way data is captured throughout 2023 and beyond.
Read our blog to find out more about this crucial change and how Eat Marketing can help you migrate to GA4, so you don’t lose your data.
If you’re looking to add any of these marketing trends into your mix but aren’t sure where to start, get in touch with Eat Marketing. Whether you need some expert advice, a thorough strategy, or social media support, we have the winning formula to help you stay ahead of the competition in the new year.
Is your food business ready to get ahead of the competition in 2022? From tailored content and personalisation to influencer marketing, there are so many different ways to hit the ground running to connect with your consumers and satisfy their cravings.
To help, we’ve put together a list of food content marketing trends that will help you cook up a winning recipe in 2022.
Create short video content
Short video content is the food content marketing trend that has swept the industry in the last 18 months. Creating bite-sized, short-form content on social platforms with video features such as TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels can really engage users, making it easier for them to discover your brand and foodie offering.
What’s more, there is significant audience growth potential with short video content as it often leaves consumers hungry for more. Therefore, this creative content can encourage users to return to your profile, therefore strengthening the connection between your brand and audience.
Conducting research to discover what type of content is most effective in the industry is a great way to get creative with trending reel and video content. Typically within the food industry, consumers enjoy seeing behind-the-scenes content such as the process of preparing a certain menu item, showing your team hard at work, or even focusing on your seasonal restaurant decor.
Consumers can absorb small bursts of information through a creative lens in videos that range between 30 seconds and a minute. Adding some music or voiceover on top will enhance this even more, and you'll end up with content that generates a buzz around your brand. Not only this, but if you’re doing something your competitors are failing to do, you're already ahead of the game and stand a better chance of retaining new customers.
Tailor and personalise your content to your customer
While it's important to optimise your content for search engines, it's equally important to personalise it to your target audience. Personalisation has always been a big hit with businesses, so there’s no surprise it’s a key food content marketing trend.
You boost your chances of obtaining business by speaking directly to your customers. For example, addressing their pain points, speaking on their level, and anticipating their wants and needs by providing them with related content, are all great ways to communicate with your target market.
The fact is, consumers are more likely to place their truth in people, not companies. To retain this trust, your brand can generate personalised and targeted content that humanises your brand and makes your customers feel recognised.
Sending emails to your loyal customers with exclusive promotions and discounts is a great way to achieve this. Presenting them with a reward will make them feel valued and appreciated, and they will be more likely to take you up on your offer as a result.
Place emphasis on user experience
Placing emphasis on your user experience is another example of an effective food content marketing trend that can help to increase your audience engagement.
The secret to keeping your customers happy is by having a user-friendly website. There’s nothing worse than your customers being unable to navigate your website. To avoid this, ensure it loads quickly so they’re not left waiting, make sure it’s mobile-friendly, and ensure your brand identity is consistent throughout.
In terms of the content you publish, having written content that is in small paragraphs and easy to read is vital. If your consumers are faced with too much text, they won’t spend any time on your site. Be sure to add plenty of visuals whether that’s photography, illustration, or video content, as this helps to break up walls of text and ultimately creates a better user experience.
Optimise content for voice search
Another food content marketing trend worth incorporating this year is optimising your content for voice search. With over one billion voice searches each month, your food brand can't afford to ignore voice search optimisation.
Today, so many consumers are using voice search engines such as Alexa, Siri, and Google to retrieve quick answers to their questions.
The best method of optimising your content is to use short and concise copy so your content is easy to find. For example, questions could include, “Where is the nearest fish and chip shop to me?” or “Is there gluten in XYZ?” If your content isn’t optimised for voice search, chances are you’ll miss out on this valuable traffic.
If your food business is optimised for voice search, the more chances you have of appearing in search engines, therefore helping you establish your brand’s online presence, and encouraging customers to buy your products.
Get on board with influencer marketing
It's hard to imagine a world where we don’t take pictures of our food before eating it, however, with the rise of influencer marketing, this is the one sure way to promote your food business.
A food content marketing trend that’s set to stick around for a while is influencer marketing. Simply put, these influencers are essentially another branch of user-generated content working as digital creators to reach and engage with their followers on social media platforms. Whether it is delicious images, cooking tips, or food inspiration, an effective marketing content strategy utilises the content of its audience to further promote itself.
Essentially, these are considered a valuable resource for marketers aiming to attract a certain audience, as promoting the food on their social channels can springboard brand awareness and increase sales.
In this digital age, foodie influencers have become essential components of restaurant marketing. With a blend of strategy, innovation, common sense, and social media tracking, these collaborations can elevate your brand.
With many consumers conducting research online before they choose to purchase from a takeaway or restaurant, this kind of content is especially useful.
With 86 percent of consumers saying that authenticity is a key factor when deciding what brands they like, it’s never been more important to get on board with brand transparency.
Brand transparency has always been important, however, in recent years the demand for authenticity and honesty has reached new heights. Today, customers want to get under the skin of your brand and learn everything they can about it, from your suppliers right down to the material of your packaging.
Going forward into the new year, the best course of action for your food brand is to thoroughly understand and shout about your products and supply chains. With the increase in conscious shoppers and diners, many are seeking honesty when it comes to the sourcing of your ingredients. If the process is ethical and sustainable, then let your customers know. They will admire you for being honest about your processes and in turn, you will gain their respect and support.
If you’re looking to add any of these marketing trends into your mix but aren’t sure where to start, get in touch with Eat Marketing. Whether you need some expert advice, a thorough strategy, or social media support, we have the winning formula to help you stay ahead of the competition in the new year.
Notably, the rise of street food stalls has evolved from outdoor markets since the outbreak of Covid19.
What was once considered a hipsters craze, street food and pop-ups have grown significantly quicker than the fast food market. As of 2018, the street food market consists of 2,000 businesses, equating to a value of £1.2 billion. But what’s changed?
In this blog, we uncover the rise of street food stalls and pop-up experiences and understand if this will be the new normal of restaurant dining moving forward.
For the experiential diner searching for something unusual when it comes to the eating experience, pop-up stalls and street food are extremely versatile in their offerings. Whether it's a unique setting, a personal encounter with the chef, or a creative menu or theme, pop-ups have the advantage of allowing for a new level of creativity and freedom that traditional restaurants don't always offer.
There’s nothing better than enjoying a hot dog straight from your hands for many people. Complete with the smell of frying onions and a variety of flavours, the rise in street food stalls boils down to the unique offerings, limited time frames, and authentic experiences.
According to Caterers.com, 48% of consumers have admitted to prioritising an authentic dining experience over the price of the food. What appears to appeal the most is the widest possible range of countries and cultures. Typically for the taste bud travellers, sampling the different foods at mobile events offers a much more authentic dining experience than many high street restaurants.
The true novelty of pop-ups is the idea that they’re not permanent, so this creates a sense of urgency among consumers to try the food whilst it’s available to them. Pop-ups are a great option for festivals, one-time events, and chefs or restaurateurs who want to 'test the waters' for a new concept.
It’s no secret that Covid-19 has played a role in the rise of street food stalls and pop-ups. During the pandemic, many small businesses turned to pop-ups and delivery as a means of creating a living whilst indoor dining was restricted. Knowing there was popularity around pop-up dining at outdoor markets, many saw the opportunity to flourish in the pandemic. Not only this, but the idea of outdoor dining offered a sense of safety with social distancing being easier to maintain outdoors.
These pop-ups specifically attract the foodies who dine out more frequently in search of refreshing eating experiences. Most pop-up events are low-key affairs that are only discovered via invitation or word of mouth, giving the event a sense of exclusivity and therefore resulting in the gradual rise of street food stalls and pop-ups.
Additionally, many people are drawn to the idea of getting their hands on food that is freshly prepared in front of them. Not only this, but they simultaneously support small businesses and learn about other cuisines in their purest form by eating street food. Trying different foods and roaming among pop-ups and stalls with friends and family is a great way to spend a day, which ultimately offers so much more than any restaurant could.
Albeit there is a rise in street food stalls and pop-up dining, will this remain a trend or will it gradually transform the restaurant experience for good?
With a recorded 82% growth in the industry following a survey from Eventbrite, it is clear that street food could soon fase out as a trend and become part of UK culture. Many workers can now buy their lunch at street food carts and eat something healthy, affordable, and unique. There are numerous food trends, but the speed with which food is prepared is something that restaurants just cannot match. Sitting down to eat can take up to two hours of your day, whereas street food is a quick alternative that provides both authenticity and a sense of community.
Considering the rise of street food stalls and pop-up markets is only growing, it’s difficult to see a future without them functioning as just a trend. As things progress forward, many chain restaurants could look towards a pop-up dining offering to ensure their consumers can enjoy both a sit-down dining experience and a street food one as well.
Whilst some restaurants offer a variety of food, it's not unusual for mainstream chains to offer generic dishes for the customers that prefer to play it safe with their food choices.
The rise of the street food experience isn’t for everyone as a lot of consumers look forward to relaxed sit-down dining where they can browse the menus, enjoy the food from a plate, and have quality time with friends and family at their own leisure. As a result of this, there is still a strong desire for restaurant dining. Soon after the Covid-19 regulations began to relax, restaurants were flooded with bookings as people had missed the interactions and experiences that restaurant dining offers.
Although street food dining is more accessible and casual, there is a gradual increase in independent and unique restaurants offering something more exclusive to their diners. For example, restaurants such as Miyako Teppanyaki have live cooking where you can watch the chefs cook your meal before your eyes. Other establishments such as Gaucho, Adam’s, and Marco Pierre White offer Michelin star ratings or sit-down meals in decadent surroundings with stunning views and sensational service. Some of these factors can be much more valuable than the convenience of street food and offer refreshing new experiences than regular high street restaurants.
It is possible that as consumers, we can enjoy a healthy balance of both restaurants and street food stalls. Trying to imagine the food industry with no sit-down dining would be almost impossible as it is enjoyed by so many.
Respectively, both experiences offer something different and although the rise of street food stalls and pop-ups can never take over the traditional sit-down dining at a restaurant, they’re definitely here to stay.
If you’re in the food business, adopting digital food marketing trends is a powerful way to reach your target audience. You need to be where consumers are searching for information and that is online.
Our handy guide highlights seven of the best digital food marketing trends and why it’s important to use them in your strategy…
Blogging is an easy way to create relevant content for your customers. An interesting blog is an opportunity to connect with people as it gives customers the chance to get to know your business, products or services a little better.
Get Google onto you
Crucially, blogging is a successfully tried and tested method that increases traffic to your website and social media channels via SEO. New, well written content with relevant keywords alerts Google, as well as other search engines, providing the opportunity to find new content to index.
Top tips: Use the right key words and related expressions. Keep content relevant to your food business. Post links to your blogs on your social sites. Use good quality, interesting photos and videos to bring posts to life.
Zero-party data is when customers share their information with a brand willingly and proactively. The key is to give them incentives to do so as they are a great way to capture data on your target audience and with the right incentives, it’s an easy way to do it.
Free pizza anyone?
Domino’s Pizza used this digital marketing food trend to great effect in the US; customers were offered a free pizza when they spent over $5 or more. To take part, customers had to visit the Domino’s website and enter details to receive a voucher coupon. Overall Domino’s – received 20,000 campaign entries.
Top tip: Consider incentives or giveaways where customers can sign-up and opt-in to receive marketing.
Regularly publishing and boosting posts or running sponsored campaigns on social platforms, such as Facebook or Instagram where your target audience are likely to be, helps raise brand awareness, extends your reach and increases conversions.
Top tips: Write engaging posts and add eye-catching images. Boost posts to your target market. Be consistent with posting and research the best time of day to post for your audience.
When it comes to digital food marketing trends, don’t just focus on social posts though, look behind your social platforms and get onto social messaging.
Just look at the figures: over 1.3 billion monthly users are active on Facebook Messenger, with 10 billion messages sent between people and businesses every month. And it’s not just Facebook, the other top social messaging apps – WhatsApp and WeChat are also relevant with billions of messages sent – 55 billion daily on WhatsApp.
Send them a message
Such astonishing stats show just how popular social messaging is and it makes sense to head on over and use social messaging as a way to market your services and products.
Top tip: Personalise your messages for maximum impact.
Who doesn’t love scrolling through GIFs to add into their social media post or Instagram story? Creating your own branded GIFs is a clever and stimulating marketing tactic as they deliver emotional impact in an easy to consume way.
They’re also a great tool to use when it comes to setting the right tone, as well as keeping you ahead of the competition when it comes to new ways of using marketing strategies to draw people in.
Top tips: Create your own set of branded Instagram Stickers and promote them to customers to use when posting online. Use GIFs as an easy way to convey messages you want to deliver.
Visual stories on social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat (the first pioneers of the ‘My Story’ concept) are powerful at hooking in customer’s attention online.
FOMO
The main benefit is that, because these types of stories disappear after a set period of time, they appeal to the FOMO (fear of missing out) aspect of social media, as well as being a great way to increase brand awareness and engage with followers.
Top tips: Add incentives such as location tags, links and clear call-to-actions. Try live videos or use polls for further engagement.
SEO continues to be a key digital marketing trend but use it wisely and use it well. And, if you want to go further, add a dash of content marketing.
Let it flow
A major update over at Google in 2019 was the BERT system. Designed to help Google understand the natural language people use when they search online, it means that, when it comes to SEO, we should be mindful of writing content that is natural and for people, not for Google.
Simply dropping in lots of keywords for Google won’t work; especially since the Google Hummingbird update which places greater emphasis on natural language. Content needs to be written in a way that flows and your keywords need to flow in your sentences too.
As Google’s John Mueller said: ‘Rather than chase the latest SEO trends, it’s more important to ensure a site has fast speeds, useful links, and well-written content.’
Top tips: Research and use targeted keywords that your customers are searching for online to ensure you’re found locally. Create content marketing that shows you’re a credible business that writes to its customers as opposed to writing for Google hits.
Customers eat with their eyes online so make sure wherever you’re using photos of your food (whether that’s on your website or your social media outlets) you’re using good quality, styled photos that look as delicious as they taste.
Top tips: Invest in a good camera and learn about lighting and positioning your food in different ways for maximum impact. Consider investing in good quality food photography via a specialised food marketing agency such as Eat Marketing for promotional material or big campaigns.
Post regularly on your social media sites and show a wide selection of your food offerings to whet customers’ appetites.
Which digital marketing trend do you want to try first? These strategies are easy to apply, and they can make a huge difference to your sales, and the way customers interact with you.